Surgery is supposed to improve your health. Whether the surgery is major, such as a hip or knee replacement, or seemingly small, like a dental implant, there’s new information that some surgeries have a hidden risk.

New evidence suggests they can cause inflammation and serious chronic illnesses. Researchers are finding out that many chronic illnesses don’t respond to treatment because they are the result of an allergy ... a metal allergy.

Hypersensitivity to various metals is a well-known phenomenon, affecting from 10-15% of people in this country alone. An external metal sensitivity is bad enough. That’s when nickel or silver jewelry causes contact dermatitis with hives, itching, and redness on the skin. But an allergic reaction to a material inside your body is more difficult to diagnose and remedy.

And that’s where some surgeries are causing problems.

One metal most doctors and dentists consider to be safe is now widely used in a number of medical devices. You’ll find it in most dental and hip implants as well as rods and screws. But this metal isn’t as safe as these doctors think. It turns out that this supposed “inert” material isn’t inert for everyone. In fact, if you’ve had a hip replacement or dental implant and have a chronic illness, like arthritis, that isn’t getting better, your implant may be the reason why.

Dental and hip implants remain in our bodies permanently. For this reason, they contain materials that won’t cause rejection or health problems. But some people have a hypersensitivity to a material that’s safe for the majority of people. If you’re ultra sensitive to this metal it could contribute to illnesses like chronic fatigue, immune problems, and even MS. Until you identify and remove the cause of the problem, you simply won’t be healthy.

The metal is titanium. When titanium dental implants first became available, the dentists I knew took a deep sigh of relief. At last it looked like they had found a safe material that could be used to anchor crowns and bridges in their patients’ jaws. Many doctors who performed hip replacement surgeries had the same reaction about artificial joints — and for good reason. Titanium has a lot of advantages. It is a preferred metal for implants because it’s strong and your body won’t reject it.

Today, titanium implants of all kinds are common. But now we know that in spite of its benefits for the majority of people, titanium corrodes and degrades over time. And these tiny particles that flake away during normal wear and tear can cause inflammation and immune problems. They can also cause injury to the liver and lesions on the kidneys in anyone with a titanium hypersensitivity.
If you’ve had titanium implants of any kind, you may be reacting to this metal even if you feel fine. This titanium allergy can cause serious — and silent — immune problems. It may not be easy to identify, but there are ways you can determine whether or not any titanium in your body is contributing to your chronic health problems.

Measuring your titanium levels

The first logical step would be to measure the levels of titanium in your bloodstream. Unfortunately, accurate and simple testing has been a problem. Recently, a research team from the University of Oviedo in Spain developed a new highly sensitive titanium-measuring test. Although it’s not readily available in this country at this time, their findings can still help you. You see, these scientists discovered that the more invasive an implant, the more tiny pieces of titanium got into a person’s blood. So implants placed in a hipbone that rub against one another leak more titanium than a dental implant.

This doesn’t mean that titanium dental implants aren’t causing serious health problems. They are. In fact, these researchers found that all of the people they tested who had titanium implants of any size and depth had more titanium in their bloodstream than the control group. Although it is considered inert — a conclusion I disagree with by the way — we now know that titanium corrodes and degrades over time. The real question is: Are your titanium implants harming you?

Measuring your sensitivity to titanium

Whether or not titanium implants are contributing to your health problems depends upon your particular sensitivity to this metal. And while it’s not easy to measure the amount of titanium in your blood, it is possible to measure your sensitivity to this and other metals. In fact, identifying this could be the key to regaining your health.

Your dentist or doctor can now order a blood test that will show whether or not you’re hypersensitive to any of them. It’s a test called the MELISA® test. It measures your immune system’s response to various allergens, like metals.
Although a health care provider has to order this test, you can get more specific information about it on the website www.melisa.org or by calling either Pharmasan Labs (715-294-2144) or Health Diagnostics and Research Institute (732-721-1234). You can also send an e-mail with your name and address to [email protected] and ask for a list of healthcare providers in your state who provide MELISA testing in your state. This test is expensive, but Pharmasan can bill Medicare in such a way that most of the cost is covered.

Removing titanium

If you have a titanium sensitivity, how can you remove the metal from your bloodstream? First, begin by eliminating all hidden exposure to it. You’ll be surprised to learn that it’s an ingredient in a number of unlikely products. For instance, titanium dioxide is used in many sunscreens and cosmetics. And titanium, known also as E171, is the coating covering many candies, such as Skittles, M&Ms, and some chewing gums. Some brands of toothpaste even contain small particles of titanium. Pharmaceutical drugs and vitamin supplements may also have a coating of titanium dioxide.

Next, if it’s a problem for you, you’ll need to find a doctor or dentist who understands this, and have your titanium implant removed. As difficult as this may be, it’s worth the time, effort, and expense to regain your health. To find a practitioner who can help you get your implant removed, look for a dentist who practices functional medicine, or ask the folks at melisa.org for the names of doctors or dentists in your area who use their tests.

Finally, there are a number of oral chelation products that remove stored heavy metals from tissues. These include Spirulina and PectaSol Modified Citrus Pectin. But there are no studies I know of that have shown they bind to titanium. Still, if you have a titanium allergy, I would suggest a six-month regimen of both PectaSol Chelation Complex and Detox Complete from Advanced Bionutritionals (800-791-3395), which are known to bind to mercury, cadmium, and other toxic heavy metals. At the very least, it will reduce your toxic load.

Identifying a titanium allergy and removing this metal isn’t simple, but it could be the solution to your chronic illness. It’s important to note that implants called “pure titanium” are often contaminated with nickel. Other titanium implants contain aluminum, vanadium, niobium, or molybdenum. Your problem may be caused by interactions with several metals — not just titanium. I’ll be talking about the issue of biocompatibility in future articles.

Nuevo-Ordóñez, Y., et al (2011). “Titanium release in serum of patients with different bone fixation implants and its interaction with serum biomolecules at physiological levels.” Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry; DOI 10.1007/s00216-011-5232-8.

How to Make Sure a Fall Doesn’t Cost You Your Independence

Accidents happen — often when we least expect them and are least able to handle the challenges they bring. Take my most recent one. I was strong and resilient, but not nearly as strong as I had been in my 30s! I learned a lot from an unfortunate situation. Hopefully, you can benefit from some of what I discovered when an unexpected accident temporarily changed the course of my life.

It was a freak accident. I was holding a frightened homeless cat so my neighbors and I could take her picture and find her a home. Suddenly the cat bolted away from me, I lost my balance, and instantly found myself on the ground with a broken leg. I never expected anything like this would ever happen to me.

Actually, I should have known better. The truth is, if we live long enough, most of us will fall and either become badly bruised or break a bone. We should all be prepared for the unexpected.

Days later, after surgery, as I lay in a rehabilitation facility watching other patients struggle with the simple tasks of sitting up and using the bathroom facilities, I realized that I had unknowingly already taken a number of steps that would speed up my healing. And they did. From beginning to end, I recovered a week or more faster than my surgeon and physical therapists had ever seen. Broken bones may not always be preventable, but there are things we can all do before a serious fall. And these steps can determine how well — and how quickly — we heal.

It’s a balancing act

One reason why I fell was because I lost my balance. I was kneeling with my weight on the balls of my feet instead of flat on the pavement. Bad idea. Many falls could be prevented if we paid more attention to our balance. I usually do. In fact, I’ve been taking stretch, balance, and Pilates classes three to five times a week for years. The cat incident occurred when I ignored what I knew. Always pay attention to your balance. Even if you’re just holding onto a cat.

If your balance isn’t particularly good, begin by improving it with classes at your local gym or with yoga or tai chi videos.

Your body remembers

After my fall, I was extremely weak. All I could do was try to remember how
I had moved in the past and then do my best to mimic that movement. It took a tremendous effort, but our muscles have memory and I trusted that they would remember how to move. They did.

My arms were suddenly stronger than my legs, so I concentrated on moving my body with the same small arm movements I had used before my fall. At first, nothing happened. But I’m not one to give up. I visualized moving my arms until I could sit up by myself. Then I concentrated on standing — then shuffling to the bathroom. It was slow, but it was progress, and all progress counts.

I learned an important lesson: the condition your body is in before an accident determines how quickly and how well you’re likely to heal afterward.
My years at the gym paid off.

If you’re not engaged in some form of regular strengthening exercises, this is the time to begin — before a fall or other accident.

Why bones break

You might ask me why this fall caused my leg to break and I would answer, “No-one knows for certain.” I may have fallen on the precise spot with just the right force that caused a fracture. Hadn’t I been taking Ultimate Bone Support supplement for years? Yes, and that’s not all. I have been using Calcitonin Nasal Spray, a prescription medication made from salmon. I also eat plenty of calcium- and magnesium-rich foods.

But three years ago, I discovered that I was gluten-intolerant. This condition prevents your bones from absorbing calcium and magnesium. It’s possible — and even probable — that my sensitivity (or allergy) to gluten, and a lifelong diet high in wheat was responsible for this bone breaking. However, I’ll never know. Neither will you. That’s why it’s essential to take all the preventive measures you can before any accident and be in the best health possible. And even then, accidents happen. Eating the right foods and taking the right supplements can certainly help you in many ways. But they can’t stop everything.

As for me, I continue to recuperate slower than I’d like and faster than my health team expects. This accident has taught me another lesson: patience. I know I can’t rush the healing process. I just take it one step at a time.

These Two Natural Solutions for Infections Won’t Lead to Antibiotic Resistance

Bacteria are sneaky and insidious. They constantly communicate silently among various species and organisms, looking for ways to stay alive. Because of this, more antibiotics than ever before have stopped working. As a result, people are getting sick and even dying from common infections. The bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. Now we’re seeing serious staph infections like MRSA — the flesh-eating bacteria — run rampant in hospitals. And pneumonia has become a common consequence of routine hospital visits.

However, taking too many antibiotics is not the only cause for this resistance. Some chicken and turkey farms add antibiotics to feed to keep the birds from getting sick. Unfortunately, one type (fluoroquinolones, which are a synthetic broad-spectrum antibiotic) promotes disease-causing bacteria birds can transfer to humans. The antibiotics may keep the poultry healthy, but they can result in drug-resistance in humans. And every year 100,000 people die from antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Countless others get sick.

When one antibiotic doesn’t work, doctors look for another one that will. But they’re running out of options. The answer is not to find a better antibiotic drug. Bacteria will just become immune to it. One solution that the medical community has overlooked, but which has been seen in many cultures over the years, is found in herbal antibiotics. Their use doesn’t cause antibiotic resistance.

Why plants work best

In my book, 456 Most Powerful Healing Secrets, I discussed some herbal antibiotics that work when conventional medications don’t. You may want to get a copy of this book (see enclosed insert) to have on hand when you need it. Better yet, add one or two herbal antibiotics to your first aid kit.

So why are plants better than drugs when you’re fighting an infection? It’s because they have a much more complex chemistry than pharmaceutical antibiotics. Penicillin is a drug made from a single substance: penicillin. Tetracycline contains only tetracycline. But a plant may contain over 100 different compounds. Bacteria can’t figure all of them out and block their effectiveness. For this reason, plant-based antibiotics are often effective against a number of pathogens — not just harmful bacteria.

Eucalyptus essential oil

Eucalyptus is not only antibacterial, it also has antifungal and antiseptic properties. While medicinal antibiotics are only effective against bacteria, eucalyptus also kills some viruses. It is one of the most effective agents against antibiotic-resistant diseases.

All parts of the eucalyptus have medicinal properties, from the bark to the leaves. But the essential oil — which is inexpensive and easily available — is safest when used externally, especially for respiratory problems and sinusitis. Add a few drops of this oil to your bath water or vaporizer and breathe in its fumes. You can also add eucalyptus oil to a little olive oil or coconut oil and rub it on your chest.

Be careful not to take large quantities internally, since it can be toxic. Used externally, it’s completely safe. Go easy with it. A little goes a long way.

Licorice root

Recently, researchers found two compounds in an herb used extensively in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries are particularly effective antibacterials. The herb is licorice root, and these compounds are licoricidin and licorisoflavan A.

Licorice root is a popular herb in Chinese medicine, but until now there have been few studies to identify its effectiveness. A recent study from the American Chemical Society identified two compounds in licorice root that could both treat and prevent tooth decay and gum disease. These natural chemicals killed oral bacteria that cause cavities, as well as some that cause gingivitis.

Since this research is new, you may not find many dental products on the market containing licorice root. If you want to use this herb, buy some licorice root from
a health food store and boil it into a strong tea. Then refrigerate the liquid and use it as a mouthwash after brushing your teeth.

Make sure that you’re getting real licorice root, not anise. Anise seed has a similar flavor, but doesn’t kill bacteria. And don’t swallow licorice root if you’re taking any prescription drugs without first checking with your pharmacist. It may cause undesirable interactions.

Eucalyptus oil and licorice root are two examples of safe and effective plants with antibiotic properties that won’t backfire on you and lead to antibiotic resistance.

NUTRITION DETECTIVE

Another Cancer-Killing Nutrient Found in Grapes

It’s no secret that resveratrol has powerful anti-cancer activities. Just a few weeks ago, I showed you how this super nutrient from grapes can help you fight breast cancer. But it looks like there’s more to the health benefits of grapes than resveratrol.

A new study found that another component of the grape seeds can kill head and neck cancer cells. And it leaves healthy cells alone.

This is great news considering nearly 12,000 Americans will die of head and neck cancer this year. Around the world, it will kill over half a million people. And those numbers continue to grow.

Most of the cancer research in recent years has focused on resveratrol. But this new study looked at the cancer-fighting activity of the grape seed. The researchers found that grape seed extract kills squamous cell carcinoma cells in both lab tests and in mice. The extract worked so well that one of the researchers, Rajesh Agarwal, PhD, said, “It’s a rather dramatic effect.”

“Cancer cells are fast-growing cells,” Agarwal says. “Not only that, but they are necessarily fast growing. When conditions exist in which they can’t grow, they die.” The grape seed extract creates this unfavorable environment. But it also damages the cancer cells’ DNA and keeps the cells from repairing themselves.
What’s more, the extract worked without any damage to healthy cells. That’s big news. Unlike chemotherapy and radiation, which kill healthy cells as well as cancer cells, this extract keeps the healthy cells healthy.

This study may help explain why we’ve received so many letters from those taking Advanced Resveratrol Formula. We knew the resveratrol was powerful. But this product also contains grape seed and grape skin extracts.

Until now, we didn’t have as much information on the seeds’ ability to fight cancer. We’ve seen research on its ability to fight Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s. But not a lot on cancer. Now we do.

You can find grape seed extract products at any health food store and on the Internet. Or you can get a product like Advanced Resveratrol Formula from Advanced Bionutritionals (800-791-3395).

One warning: If you’re taking any medications, check with your pharmacist before taking mega doses of this extract. Higher doses may trigger side effects or negative interactions with medications, herbs, or supplements.

Shrotriya, S., G. Deep, M. Gu, M. Kaur, A.K. Jain, S. Inturi, R. Agarwal, and C. Agarwal. “Generation of reactive oxygen species by grape seed extract causes irreparable DNA damage leading to G2/M arrest and apoptosis selectively in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells.” Carcinogenesis, 2012; DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgs019.

University of Colorado Denver (2012, January 27). “Grape seed extract kills head and neck cancer cells, leaves healthy cells unharmed.” ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 30, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127140939.htm.

LETTERS

Q: My preschool grandsons get a lot of colds and ear infections. I take probiotic pills, which they can’t swallow. Are there any probiotics for anyone who has difficulty swallowing pills and capsules? — J.W., e-mail

A: Before you turn to probiotics or any other nutrient, put your grandsons on a sugar-free diet. Sugar feeds pathogenic bacteria and keeps the boys vulnerable to colds and infections. It doesn’t matter how many good bacteria (probiotics) they take if they’re also feeding the bad ones.

Next, I’d boost their immunity with two supplements: Mycophyto Complex and Advanced Greens Formula. Mycophyto is a mixture of immune-enhancing mushrooms that has kept me from getting sick for more than 10 years. In the past, I would get every cold or flu going around.

Advanced Greens Formula contains a host of antioxidants and other food-based nutrients that protect against colds and infections.

I’d put the contents of one Mycophyto capsule and half a teaspoon of the Greens Formula in some diluted juice or a smoothie. You can do this with most probiotic capsules as well. It would be best for your grandsons to have this drink twice a day, but once a day would be helpful. Both of these supplements have a mild taste that shouldn’t bother even the fussiest child.

If you see your grandsons daily, you could mix up a smoothie for yourself and share it with the boys. That way you protect yourself from any colds they bring home from preschool.

Q: My last eye exam showed slight macular degeneration. My optometrist said I didn’t need vitamin eye drops, but shouldn’t I be using some kind of therapy to keep from getting worse? How about Ocuvite? — Mrs. A.R., e-mail

A: Of course, it makes sense to feed your eyes when you are told you have a condition that points to an age-related nutritional deficiency. And that’s just what age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is.

However, Ocuvite is not your best option, in my opinion. It contains low levels of nutrients, and the raw materials are not of the highest quality. This means you don’t get the maximum benefits at a time when you need them.

There are a number of nutrients that protect against AMD. I’ve written about two of them in the past. They are omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish and fish oil supplements) and vitamin D. If you want to read more about them, you can find all past articles on my website. I recommend you take a fish oil supplement every day and 2,000-5,000 IU of vitamin D daily.

But that’s not all. Numerous nutrients feed the eyes, so a formula containing a number of them makes sense. Ocuvite is better than nothing, but my choice is Advanced Vision Formula (800-791-3395) or OcuThera (ProThera, 888-488-2488). They are as strong and balanced as the higher quality formulas designed and
sold by ophthalmologists. And they’re less expensive.

It disturbs me to hear that your optometrist didn’t know that taking nutrients to support good eye health is necessary. Or even that they could be helpful. I would look for another optometrist.